991231 Pinocchio

Pinocchio

By Max

     I think most children are like Pinocchio. They play all day,  and don’t go to school most of the time. They don’t study at school either, they just play and eat lunch. But I wonder why Pinocchio is so gullible? Maybe he doesn’t really think about things that who is lying. So I wish don’t copy Pinocchio again (the first three-quarters of the story). And I also know Lampwick is bad too. He is a bad boy who only tells someone studying is bad, boring and it’s like burning hell. He also tells someone just go to play. But he also gets his payback: he turns into a real donkey. I see a lot of kids and teenagers do like that, too. They just play, and do bad things like smoking, speak dirty language and steal things from other people.

     This story is talking about many things in your life. Pinocchio, he is a naughty, selfish and greedy boy, but he changes after his dad was sick, and he become a good boy. Mr. Fox and Mr. Cat (let’s call him that way) are liars. Liars are bad and they lied to many people, and if you do that in real life, you would even gat a death sentence because of lying. And the doctors like to fight each other, one says it is dead, but the other one says it isn’t, and I like them the most, because they are funny (I wonder that doctor who always say “He/She’s dead” must be fired).

     But, we need to learn from Pinocchio. He was affected by many bad people, and almost changes his mind to evil, but he can find the right direction to a good boy. I would say a second time, he is really a good boy.

From: Skyline Classic Comics, Pinocchio

991224 Beyond Earth

Beyond Earth

NASA scientists share glimpses of new space frontiers

By TFK Kid Reporter Jamie Paterno Ostmann

A mechanical dragonfly whirs through the skies of Mars. A swarm of tiny rock-eating robots munch on a runaway asteroid to keep it from harming Earth. Crab-like probes swim through alien seas in search of life. Science fiction? Not for long. These are all ideas that Jay Falker, who runs the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program, is working on right now. "We take a look at what's on the edge of science fiction today, and how we might make it reality in the future," he said.

Falker was one of about a dozen scientists and astronauts who spoke at a recent conference called "What Every Filmmaker Should Know About NASA," a gathering designed to bring Hollywood producers and directors up to date on the latest developments in space exploration.

The daylong conference at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California, included discussions on topics such as the search for a new Earth as well as stories from astronauts about the daily reality of space travel.

Are We Alone?

Dr. Christopher McKay, who studies the evolution of the solar system and the origins of life at NASA's Ames Research Center, in Northern California, told the gathering that he believes there is life beyond Earth, just waiting to be found on Mars or on one of Jupiter's or Saturn's moons. He is searching for what he calls the "Second Genesis." "If we find another example of life, that would tell us that right here in our own solar system life started twice," McKay told TFK. "That would tell us life is common, that it's popping up everywhere. The universe is full of life."

The View from Space

Veteran shuttle astronauts Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Michael J. Massimino told stories about their experiences living in space, ranging from describing the beauty of the stars to the difficulty of using a toilet without gravity. Dyson spoke about how she was astonished by the view in space and how everything appeared to be in 3D. "You could tell which stars were farther away than others. It just moved me to tears," she said.

Massimino gave advice to children who want to be astronauts. "Work hard. Never give up," he said. Dyson added, "Study, dream big, believe, and most importantly, follow your heart."

Mixed Feelings

Bill Nye, host of the Emmy-winning Bill Nye, the Science Guy television series, moderated a discussion on the long-range study of space. He told TFK that he had many emotions listening to stories of the astronauts' adventures. "I applied to be an astronaut, and I can't help but think what I could have done if I had the chance," he said. Nye is the executive director of The Planetary Society, an organization that advocates exploration of other planets, especially Mars.

In addition to the exciting talk about new worlds and new life forms, there was a touch of sadness to the conference. With the final space shuttle set to launch in early 2011, the astronauts told the audience, it could be a long time before the United States launches a new manned mission beyond the skies.

Max-Space is very cool. However, only a few people could go to space and feel that realistic place. I think living in a zero-gravity place may be harder than in living in Earth. If we do all the things the same way as it would be made in Earth, it will be too hard. But, we can explore the space and let us know. I think the space is so cool because of those robots that explore some planets, and robots that travel and explore the alien seas. And space technology is getting better, and about many centuries later, we could live in Mars! And maybe explore the black hole and even outer space in the next few years! But, outer space is really dangerous; there maybe are big asteroids, and some other dangerous stuff.   Really, space stuff is really expensive. Like those cool rockets, one of them maybe cost hundreds of millions of dollars; don’t even say other even expensive things. And, some space missions failed because of the rocket busted or collapsed, and many astronauts died because of that. So astronauts really need to do the best to execute the missions, and hope they would come back to Earth safely.

991217 Bullies Beware!

Bullies Beware!

TFK caught up with Rosalind Wiseman, an expert on bullying and other important issues

By TFK Kid Reporter Gabrielle Healy

"If it hurts or degrades someone, it's wrong," says Rosalind Wiseman. She is the author of Queen Bees and Wannabees, the book on which the movie Mean Girls is based. Wiseman educates mothers and daughters on issues that impact kids, including bullying and gossiping. TFK Kid Reporter Gabrielle Healy caught up with the author on her Girl World Tour.

TFK:

If you could only give one piece of advice about bullying to young people, what would it be?

ROSALIND WISEMAN:

Just because it's happening and you see it all the time, that doesn't make it right. If it hurts your feelings, then it's wrong. If it degrades somebody, humiliates somebody, makes him or her feel small, it's wrong. Kids should say, "Well, why is this common? Why is this so accepted? What am I going to do about it?"

TFK:

How can young people maintain a positive self-image around their friends?

WISEMAN:

Conflict is inevitable. People are going to get into arguments. You're going to have to be able to talk through that conflict in a way where others don't blow you off or make you feel stupid or ridicule you. And you have to make sure that you don't do that to others. That's a struggle, though. It's not like, "Oh, here you go. Have a positive self-image."

TFK:

What do you think about young people using social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter?

WISEMAN:

How old are you?

TFK:

I'm 11.

WISEMAN:

Ok, so you know Facebook says, "Are you 13?" And the 9-year-old person goes, "Yes, I am." And welcome to Facebook. As soon as kids are social networking, even on Club Penguins or Webkinz, parents need to sit them down and say, "The way you conduct yourself online is exactly the way we expect you to conduct yourself in real life. If you don't do this, then we are going to take this away until you can prove to us you're mature enough to handle it." It should be similar to the way people teach children how to drive. When you're sixteen, you get a permit to drive. You're not allowed to drive past a certain hour. You give people graduated freedom. We don't do that with technology. We just say, "Here you go. Happy Facebook. Go for it." So you're going to go crazy! It's like giving a 16-year-old the keys to a race car. It's like saying, "You don't know how to drive, but we think you're going to be good at it." I'm asking kids to take ownership. Slow down long enough to figure it out and have some control over it.

TFK:

What do you think is the appropriate age for kids to own a cell phone?

WISEMAN:

I think that when you go to a concert, or any place where there are a lot of people and you may get lost, then I think it's totally appropriate to bring a cell phone with you. That does not necessarily mean that it is your cell phone. It's your family's cell phone. I don't think children your age should own a cell phone. It's helpful, like, 2% of the time, and 98% of the time it makes your life miserable. Of course, you feel like you have to have one because everybody else has one and you're going to miss out on information. But that's information that's going to make you more miserable.

TFK:

What advice would you give to young people to prepare themselves in case they are bullied?

WISEMAN:

Kids feel like adults just don't get it. They think all adults are useless. My answer to you is, even though you think 98% of adults can't help you, you've got to be able to identify one adult you think is realistic enough for you to talk to. You don't need 100 people. You just need one.

TFK:

You say that kids and parents are too influenced by marketing. What can parents and their children do to avoid this?

WISEMAN:

I think parents have to be media literate. Look at what messages are being sent to you, and to your children. The most important thing is to have a discussion with kids about what they see. I sometimes even mute television advertisements and have my sons guess what is being sold to them.

TFK:

In today's mean girl world, how do young people make the right friendship choices?

WISEMAN:

The top three things you have to have in a friendship are trust, loyalty and the ability to be yourself. These are your friendship rights.

Max-Bullying is a bad thing. As the years go over, I was suspecting that did the bullies in this whole country was increasing. Bullies means get mean to other people that are weak, and may probably hit them, or kidnap them, or force them to give money. I’ve saw some classmates bullying each other in the school. They speak bad language to each other, and sometimes they even fight! And most times, I am the only boy to see all these girl classmates do that to each other (Too lucky, but sometimes I think I’m lousy). So maybe I suggest the government would stop most of the bullies. And about the movie “Mean Girls”, I’ve seen that a lot of times before. The story is about a girl bullied all the students in the school, and one time she even made a big fight with all the girls fighting each other! I think it was horrible, but I like that school fight scene. Anyway, I think we’re not supposed to do anything like bullying, because that is a very bad thing.

991210 One Pricey Book

One Pricey Book!

An 1827 book on birds sells for more than $10 million

By Brenda Iasevoli

Naturalist John James Audubon's Birds of America is now the world's most expensive published book. It sold for $10.3 million at an auction in London, England, on Tuesday.

 The oversized pages contain portraits of a flamingo, a snowy owl and 433 other birds that Audubon observed in the wild. Since Audubon insisted on painting the birds life size, the book measures a whopping 3 feet by 2 feet. Fewer than 120 copies of Birds of America are known to exist.

"The book is a major original contribution to the study of natural history in the New World," said Heather O'Donnell, a specialist with Bauman Rare Books in New York. "It's also one of the most visually stunning books in the history of print."

The Book's Beginnings

In the 1820's, Audubon set off on a quest to paint and describe all the birds of North America. He traveled down the Mississippi River with only a rifle, a drawing pad and an assistant. He painted the birds as he observed them in their natural habitat.

Audubon tried to find a printer in the United States, but none were willing to take on the book with its oversize illustrations. In 1827, he sailed to Britain and eventually found printers in London, and in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Experts say the volume is unmatched in beauty and is of great scientific value.

"If you want to buy an example of a rare work of art, this is one of the best," said Pom Harrington, owner of a rare book firm in London. "It is valuable in its artistic nature because it is so well drawn."

Do I Hear 31 Million?

In recent years, a book of William Shakespeare's complete works sold at auction for about $5.6 million. A Geoffrey Chaucer collection sold for more than $4 million. Shakespeare was a famous English poet and playwright who lived in the late 1500's. Chaucer was a famous English poet who lived in the 1300's.

While Birds of America holds the record for a published book, a 72-page notebook of Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci's handwritten notes and illustrations sold for even more. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and the second richest man in the world, bought the notebook in 1994 for $31 million.

Max- We have books all around the world. There are many kinds of books that we think is good to read. But really, I don’t really care how much does it cost to buy a book, because we can read every single book in the world, and that is not unusual, the difference of each book is just the words, pictures, and stories in the book. But, some books are expensive, because it has a lot of very important information or the book was written a long time ago. Like this book “Birds Of America”, it was also been written a long time ago, and it has a lot of information about birds, that’s because why the book is so big. This book has recorded every type of birds in North America, and it also has many beautiful pictures, too. This book is very rare now, so it’s very expensive! Also, a notebook that wrote Leonardo Da Vinci’s handwritten notes sold even expensive than “Birds Of America”! Leonardo is a good artist and inventor, and he drew a lot of great pictures. But also, he always write from right to left, so only few people know what’s he writing. This notebook sold for an enormous price-$31 million!

991205 Harry Potter Returns

Harry Potter Returns

TFK attends the "black" carpet premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in New York City

By TFK Kid Reporter Sahil Abbi

There were no wands. No magic spells were cast. But going to the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was truly a magical experience. I was separated from the Harry Potter stars only by a red velvet rope! I spoke to Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), among other stars and producers of the film. It was this Muggle's dream come true.

Chatting with the Cast

I and many other kids have grown up with Harry Potter. I've read the books by author J.K. Rowling over and over. I've seen the movies too. When I met the actors, it was difficult not to think of them as their characters. Radcliffe is Harry to me. Felton is Draco, Harry's enemy. In reality, Radcliffe's and Felton's relationship is friendly. "We're mates," says Felton.

When Radcliffe arrived, the fans screamed and waved posters. One poster said, "Potter can't be done." But after chatting with the actors, I learned that they have already moved on. "It's a bit sad," Radcliffe told me. "On the other hand, 10 years is a bit long to spend with one character. But it's certainly very sad on some counts."

The End Is Near

The final book is broken up into two films. Part 1 includes intense battles as Harry races against the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) to find the Horcruxes. For those of you who are not Potter fans, the Horcruxes are the seven pieces of Voldemort's soul. They give him immortality as long as they are not destroyed.

Meanwhile, Voldemort searches for the Elder Wand, which he believes will give him the power to defeat Harry once and for all. Fear not, fellow Harry Potter fans. There is more magic to come. The final film, Deathly Hallows Part 2, arrives next July.

Max-J.K Rowling’s final book of Harry Potter, Deathly Hollows has finally made into a movie! But, because the story is too long, so the story has been separated into two parts, and one part is on theaters now, and the other part comes next year. I think the most exciting scene in part one is Harry Potter fights with evil Voldemort, because the fighting scene is so cool! After I read the final book of Harry Potter, I know that Harry won the match of Harry and Voldemort. It took 10 years to finish seven films (Deathly Hallows Part 2 hasn’t finished), and it spended so much money! Do you know how many money was earned by the actor of Harry Potter? He earned about a thousand million! And also, a Harry Potter amusement park has been builded. But, honestly, I actually don’t like Harry Potter. The reason why is because of the books are too long, and I’m not really interested on Harry Potter, too. I think many Harry Potter fans will see this movie and enjoy it!

991203 Hanukkah is Here!

December 1, 2010

Hanukkah is Here!

The Jewish holiday begins at sunset tonight

By Andrea Delbanco

This year, Jews begin celebrating Hanukkah at sunset on December 1. The holiday lasts eight days and nights. In Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication." Hanukkah honors a struggle that dates back to 165 B.C., when Jews defeated an invading army and regained the Temple at Jerusalem. According to legend, Jews found a lamp inside the temple with just enough oil to light their holy lamps for one night. By some miracle, the legend goes, it burned for eight nights. Today, Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a candle in a special holder, called a menorah, for each of the eight nights.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel!

Last night, two students at Yeshiva University in New York City set a new world record for dreidel spinning in the Guinness Book of World Records. The two students, along with 616 others, set a new record of 618 people spinning the four-sided tops at the same time. The old record was 541 and took place in New Jersey five years ago. Guinness still has to certify the dreidel record before it becomes official.

And . . .It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Elsewhere in New York City last night, thousands of people of all faiths gathered in Rockefeller Center to watch the lighting of the country's most famous Christmas tree. Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped turn on the 30,000 energy-efficient lights that decorate the 74-foot Norway spruce. The ceremony, which included performances by Jessica Simpson, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban and Charice, was broadcast on television. The towering tree will be lit until January 7, 2011.

Max-It’s December! Time goes really fast, and it’s time to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas! Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, and it’s just like Christmas (I’m not really sure), and you know that, that the only different thing from these two holidays is one is made by the Jewish and the other one is made by the Christians. Hanukkah is found because of a candle, which it can burn only one night, but it lasted for eight nights. So the Jewish made a special candle holder, and put eight candles on it, and each night, they light a candle until eight days are over. Dreidels are a game that the Jewish play in Hanukkah. Everybody puts many game pieces in the pot, and spin the wooden four-sided tops with pictures on each side of the pot. Some pictures represent how many game pieces you can get, or give game pieces to the pot, or do nothing. There are also many different types of dreidel games, like who spun the longest time, or how many dreidels are being spun at the same time. Also, Christmas is almost here! Maybe everyone likes Santa’s presents, Christmas trees, and Christmas dinner too!